Doing Less in Order to Live More

This is about simplicity – finding that “one thing” that is needful in our lives. 

My preaching professor taught me to be ruthless in excising everything from my sermon that did not have to do with my central message:  getting rid of parenthetical paragraphs, getting rid of three points and a poem, in order to make one key point, one key word.  That same focus would serve our lives, if we could be ruthless in excising everything that gets in the way, or is an obstacle to our one thing that God wants for us, the one thing that God has called us to be and do, we would find greater joy in the doing, --- doing less and living more.

I find we are trying to do it all, and it is killing us.  We think we’re going to miss something, so we never fully attend to what is in front of us.  We listen to a tune on Youtube, but wonder if there’s a better tune out there and we are searching for another before we’ve fully engaged in the tune that is sounding in our ears.  We’re trying to do too much, and in an attempt to live life to the full, we are actually living marginally, superficially, with short attention spans, never fully digesting the experience we are in.

If we could do one or two things very well, with enjoyment, with depth, how much more satisfying would it be than doing a dozen things with the barest of competency? And in saying “no” to these other good things, that may open the opportunity for others for whom these good things are their “God-things,” for which they are uniquely gifted – perhaps in a way we could never be.

If we say yes to God’s call in our lives, and have a firm grasp on that “ONE thing,” we may with greater peace and conviction say “no” to other good things, which may not be the things we need to be doing.

If we learn to say “no” to more “opportunities,” we may be able to say “yes” more often to the thing things that enrich our lives and the lives of others.

If we do fewer activities we might actually enjoy the activities we do with greater pleasure.

If we work fewer hours, that leaves room for work to be done by others, thereby addressing the high unemployment rates.

We need to do less in order to live more.  I think you know exactly what I’m talking about.

“There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.” --- Jesus in Luke 10:42